Anyone recommend the most laser you can get for under $50?
Just a brief look around over at Laser Pointer Forums confused the heck out of me. Seems like all the folks there say you need to buy a $75 set of goggles before you use any good laser.
Oh, and if you know of a laser that is strong enough to substitute as a soldering iron, that would save me buying a soldering kit 
After seeing Foy and Langs bad ass lasers I had to get one I found this 200mW WF502B for $36.89 and ordered it on the 18th, to my surprise I received it on the 20th, yup that's right 2 days later apparently it shipped from NY. Well let me tell you this is a bad mother, it lights matches, pops balloons and shines for miles day and night. I couldn't be happier and with the almost instant gratification of the 2 day delivery and the absolutely breath taking power I can highly recommend this baby.
http://www.gadgettown.com/200mW-532nm-UltraFire-WF502B-Flashlightshaped-...
I worked (or better i played) with laser for almost one year. Safety goggles is the first thing you need if you use laser >1mW. Also "only" with a 50mw laser and a casual reflection you can have eye damage.
BUT you can find goggles also for $30. They stop almost all the light (unless you want laser > 1 W).
Pay attention with "chinese" budget laser, especially with green ones. They don't have an important thing: IR filter. Your eyes can't see IR radiation but it is the most dangerosu part of the beam. Are IR radiation that pop baloon and burn things in low power laser.
Aarrrgh! A green laser for $35 or a 980L that might fail quickly for 7 bucks more.
Interesting that the laser is in an Ultrafire body and uses an 18650.
Hi trooplewis!
The bright spot in front of the guy on the picture in your sig line: Is that a moth crossing the beam and ingniting? :bigsmile:
yeah i just got that same laser and wow... holy cow...that thing is bright!@! i am gonna have to order some safety glasses, im scared to turn that thing on!
Looks like it is out of stock at the link that is listed in Reply #1, maybe you got the last one!
yeah, it just got here today..... cant wait till it gets dark outside 
Looking at DX, they have a warning that any laser with more the 5mW can no longer be shipped to the USA because of FDA restrictions. Wonder why the other sites don't mention that?
i was wondering about that myself.....but i did get mine today...
Go to T-mart and enter the same sku in the search box;
E03236
Ask in live chat if they have it in the US warehouse
They appear to have stock
Their stock is wierd. They emailed me when I order the 100mw version and said they don't have in stock now but can get some from elsewhere if I'm willing to wait a week. So wait I did and when I wrote to cancel a week later they said they'll ship it right away but didn't for another week... so, yeah.
The Gadgettown laser shipped from New York so you don't have to import it so no FDA importation of lasers over 5mW problem.
Mine was shipped by them from HK. Regardless, it's illegal, so nobody snitch, ok? 
Ordered one from Tmart, they gave me the option of USPS 1st class shipping so I assume it is being shipped from inside the USA.
There are some lasers advertised there that look seriously powerful, wonder how they get around the FDA rulings about lasers?
They don't....
lol, that is EXACTLY what I thought